1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vice assemblies with at least first and second opposingly facing jaws, one of which being movable for selectively loosening and tightening the vice assembly to secure a workpiece therebetween. More specifically, the present invention discloses a vice jaw assembly with first and second anchored jaw portions and with at least one additional floating jaw mounted in translatable fashion between the first and second anchored jaw portions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with various types of vice and jaw assemblies, particularly in use with a pallet or base support within an item of tool machining equipment. Most commonly, such vice assemblies of this nature are utilized for holding in a fixed and secure manner a workpiece which is subject to a machining action of such a tool. The machining operation is also preferably a computer numerically controlled (CNC) operation which guides a drilling, cutting, boring, deburring or other conventional machining tool.
A first example of a prior art vice assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,663, issued to Jorgensen, which teaches a precision vise with independently movable jaws. A dual vise includes first and second vise assemblies, each with centrally fixed stationary jaws and independently controlled moveable jaws. Each vise assembly is capable of holding a workpiece under a pressure independently of the holding pressure of the other vise assembly. The moveable jaws are controlled by concentric lead screw shafts and, when used in conjunction with a CNC operator, teaches increased productivity with commensurate decrease of damage to individual workpieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,096, issued to Buck, teaches a pallet with multiple vises which are disposed in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation and which include jaws associated with the vise activated by an elongate actuator screw which extends longitudinally of a groove in the pallet. A still further basic example of the prior art is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,321, issued to Durfee, Jr., and which discloses a two station machining vise with removable and off-settable jaws. The Durfee, Jr. assembly includes two movable outer positioned jaws and a fixed center jaw. The movable jaws are removable and resettable onto associated slides and the slides include upperly projecting bodies with pressure release latches for fixing the jaws in position on the slides.